Southwest Airlines - revenue passengers 2011-2019

Southwest Airlines carried over 134 million paying passengers in 2019. The world's largest low-cost airline saw a steady increase in revenue passengers since 2013. 

  

Southwest's efficiency in carrying passengers

   Matching the growth in the number of revenue passengers, Southwest Airlines' revenue passenger miles (RPM) rose as well, reaching 131.35 billion in 2019. In that same year, the airline had a capacity of almost 157.25 billion available seat miles (ASM). Dividing RPM by ASM, Southwest had a passenger load factor of 83.5 percent, a number similar to the overall passenger load factor of U.S. airlines, which stood at 83.7 percent in 2018. 

  

Southwest and the low-cost carrier market

   Southwest Airlines is the top low-cost carrier worldwide, both in terms of passenger traffic and revenue. The Irish budget airline, Ryanair is second to Southwest in both categories. Low-cost carriers continue to expand their share of the market in air transportation, possibly indicating an increased willingness of passengers to choose which amenities to pay for when flying.